


The Science of a Crush

by Cocopeno



Category: Dexter's Laboratory
Genre: Awkward Crush, Bisexuality, Dorks in Love, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Falling In Love, Feelings Realization, Fluff, M/M, Post-Break Up, Slow To Update, tag while I go, we're keeping it PG
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-14
Updated: 2019-08-03
Packaged: 2020-01-13 00:13:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18457514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cocopeno/pseuds/Cocopeno
Summary: Mandark finally realizes that his pursuit of Dee Dee is futile after a rejection unlike all the others. He decides to find a way to research and create, a new invention to help rid himself of his blind obsession for her. But, when complications arise, Mandark needs Dexter to help him with his science, and unknowingly, his own feelings. As the two unite, their begrudging collaboration grows into mutual respect, friendship and more.Mandark/DexterMore chapters to come





	1. Rational Rejection

**Author's Note:**

> Hello. This is my first fic, thanks for reading. :)
> 
> Also, this first part is a little bit sad. :T  
> But hey, gotta break hearts to build new ones!

* * *

 

Mandark walked home from school despairingly. Today had been a terrible, terrible day.

This day had a history of being one of Mandark’s most disliked days: The last day of school. But surprisingly it had been so much worse… Again he recounted the moment, which only a few hours ago had happened, the irony that a mere 10 minutes during a lunch break could change so much…

 

Mandark walked down the empty school hallway to the library. It was lunchtime and usually, he would spend the entirety of his break finishing his homework from his morning classes and then reading while he ate his lunch. But today he stayed after class with his science teachers, eating lunch and discussing which equations he should study over the break. He decided to pop back into the library for the last few minutes of lunch anyway to return and check out a few books for summer.

He was absentmindedly musing on which genetic sequences he should fuse later in his lab when he stopped in his tracks, and quickly ducked behind one of the corners of the intersecting hallway.

 Dee Dee was at her locker.

She was facing away from him, humming and working at the inside of the metal door.

But what was she doing _here_ rather than at lunch with her friends? Mandark checked his teleport watch, at this point in time, she would be performing an impromptu dance in the field after her ‘frolicking warm up’ in the daisy patch. He felt incredibly lucky to be spotting her outside her routine 

He examined the area, Lee Lee and Cee Cee weren’t in sight, and all the other students were at lunch. He smiled as his heartbeat began to quicken; it was a perfect opportunity for a romantic gesture.

 He shuffled to reach into his backpack, whispering excitedly to himself.

 "Excellent! I can use my new invention, The Chrono-Grow!!’

He quickly took out an assortment of vials and a packet of flower seeds, mixing the liquids together he dropped a few seeds in and finally zapped it with the conveniently placed chrono-grow keychain on his backpack. Instantly a large assortment of red roses began to grow and blossom from the vial.

He deviously smiled at his own genius ability, His latest design was quite handy and he could easily imagine a larger model to grow acres of roses for Dee Dee. He used another device to laser cut the thorns off the stems and the ends of the roses and eagerly waited in anticipation.

 ' _Now to prepare for the precise moment of optimal_ **_woo-ing_** _'_

He looked back to Dee Dee and focused more intently to see what she was doing.

 

Dee dee nonchalantly hummed an off-tune of Josie and the Pussycats as she pulled off a sticker a kitten-dancing from its sheet. She gingerly stuck it to the inside of her locker door and gave it a soft pet with the tip of her index finger.

 “There, perfect!” She smiled contentedly, studying the completely sticker covered door of her locker. She had finished covering Lee Lee and Cee Cee’s locker doors with stickers and had now finished her own with two extra sheets to spare. The three were ready as a perfect welcoming surprise for next year.

She closed the metal door with a mindless swing and was startled by Mandark standing right behind it.

 “Ah!- Oh, Hello.” she smiled. There had been times when Mandark had been a bother to Dee Dee, and an especial bother to her brother... Like when Mandark's science project nearly ate her, or when  but Dee Dee made always made a conscious decision not to hold a grudge.

Mandark smiled nervously, before clearing his throat and collecting himself. 

“Hello Dee Dee! Dazzling goddess of grace and beauty, you look as exquisite as ever. Today, I have for you my love, a bouquet of roses. Though nothing will ever be comparable to your enchanting vision it is a token I give with my heart and pray it pleases you.”

 “Wow Thanks!”

She accepted the bouquet and took a big breath inhaling the pleasing scent, but then pauses and frowns. She looks at the full red blooms Contemplatively, beginning to feel confused. For the most part, Dee Dee didn’t read into things. She wasn’t a fool, she was just was too busy thinking about the things that she and how she was feeling.

And for the most part, she didn’t really understand Mandark. She rationalized he was just foreign, and all the times he said such poetic romantic things was just part of his culture, like how well dressed he was, and his unique name.

But red roses weren't something you could easily dismiss, they meant love practically everywhere, except at performances when they meant ‘good job’... But she hadn’t just finished a ballet performance. She wondered if roses and all flowers could mean something else? The thought was revolutionary.

She furrowed her brow even more, feeling very confused. She looks back up at Mandark, who now seemed somewhat pale.

“Is something wrong my enchantress?”

“Well, I only ever get roses after I dance, or from someone who like-likes me…” She pursed her lips puzzled, then innocently asked,  “What do these flowers mean?”

 

Mandark was taken aback. He thought he had been so obvious. But at the same time, he instantly recognized that he never really did tell Dee Dee how he felt for her. Being asked so plainly what he meant with the flowers and in turn, more specifically what his feelings were, really threw him off guard.

“I-well I, that is..” Mandark fumbled with his hands.

Just what was happening right now? He called her his love just a second ago but now it felt like the words were blurry and heavy to say. He felt heat spread over his face up to his ears. How ironic, that Dexter should be his powerful rival, but compared to Dee Dee, Mandark didn't even stand a chance.

“well I-do. I, I do... ‘like-like’ you... That's um, that’s what they mean.” His gut wrenched, and he felt like he might puke.

Dee Dee lifted her eyebrows, unaware to Mandark’s agony  “Ooooh....” _Now that_ made sense to her. She briefly wondered why he would like her when they really didn't know each other but disregarded it.

She smiled again, but this time sympathetically. She briefly looked down at the flowers, then started speaking with heavy empathy.

“This was a **_v e r y_ **  nice gesture Mandark, but I’m sorry, I don’t feel the same way.”

The words hit like lightning. For a moment, all Mandark could do was just stare at her, He didn’t know what he was expecting, but that definitely wasn’t it. He gaped at her stunned but then quickly snapped back to his senses and put the charm back on.

He took a knee galantly, “Well, my queen I shall not easily be discouraged, If it takes a thousand bouquets or a thousand years, I will follow you.”

Dee Dee looked sad, “Mandark, you don’t deserve that.” He blinked surprised. She stuck out a hand, “Here, you should probably stand.” He accepted the help and stood.

“I think that you know that your an interesting person who would make a good boyfriend. It’s best that you find someone who sees that in you and wants you back.  Also, I wouldn't feel good if you kept giving me flowers or other things." 

Mandark’s felt like he was in space, not in a good way, but in the unexpected surrounding of confusion of darkness. His mouth went dry and his hands felt clammy and shaky, it was like feeling frozen over.  "Ok, I understand." His voice was much more even than he was expecting. The whole event was like a spell on him.

 She held out the bouquet “Would you like these back? You could give them to another person if you want, someone might really like them.” She broadly smiled.

“...I...Ok.” 

She handed him back the flowers and gave him a small pat on the shoulder. “Here’s a sticker too.” where her hand left, a  brightly colored alligator sticker clung to his short sleeve.

“Ok, bye.” She walked away.

A few seconds later the bell rang for the end of lunch. Mandark put the flowers into his backpack, still in shock of what just happened, and headed to his next class.

 


	2. Data debunking denial

* * *

The sudden blare of a car horn snaps Mandark back to reality. He had nearly crossed the road in front of an angry driver. Taking a few feeble steps back out  of the street he sat on the curb weekly. His heart pounding he looked down at his sweaty, shaking hands. 

 

_What has gotten into me?? Dee dee has rejected me countless times. Why now…_

 

He slowly wrapped his arms around himself. 

_Why now did it hurt so much?_

 

His chest tightened, and a flood of regret rushed over him. 

_I should have just stayed back, I shouldn't have gone over. Everything would have stayed the same._

He pauses a moment... 

_I mean is anything actually different??_

He stands up, slightly revived by his own sense of false hope feeling steady again.

_Thinking about it rationally, this is comparable to_ _any other simple replicated experiment._

Mandark checks both ways for cars and crosses the street safely.

 

_I mean, Dee dee is an unfathomably beautiful queen of delicacy and refinement, that will never change and thus is defined as the controled variable._

_She pushed me away, that's nothing new, a simple reaction to the experimental trials of all the different wooing...  And, I still love her_ _, so technically speaking, this is grounds enough to consider this another failure similair to all the ones before on the path to true love!...._

 

Then he remembers her sad look, and her sympathetic smile and those poignant words…

**_"I don't feel the same way.."_ **

 

Hot tears burned into his eyes, and he stopped again in his tracks. This time he pulled out the flowers from his backpack, still perfect, vibrant and sweet… Only one person deserved these roses…

 

…..

 

Mandark stood outside of Dee dee's house. Still in his school clothes, he decided it was best to head here first instead of his house. He knocked on the door and ran the doorbell. 

 

"KkkkiiiiiIIIIIDDDDdddsss can you get the door?" 

 

Dee dee's mom's loud sing song voice could be heard from inside the house.

 

"On it Moooom!" 

 

Dexters voice answered in the same tune but heavily distorted by his thick accent. As soon as Mandark heard it his shoulders slumped, and his anxious smile vanished. 

 

Ugh, Dexter. He hated that voice, the thick blend of sounds, the uneven rise and fall of inflection, and the sheer lack of articulation... what even  _was_ his accent? A speach impediment? Whatever, he would only have to see him at the door, then he could talk to Dee dee. 

 

"Heellooooo neighbor- Oh its you." Dexter frowned at Mandark. "What do you want?" He asked guardedly.

 

Mandark scowled and gripped the flowers he held in his hands. "Is Dee dee here?" 

 

Dexter raised an eyebrow in moderate surprise. "No, she is sleeping over at one of her friends."

 

"Oh," Mandark couldn't hide the disappointment. "When will she back?"

 

"She's not coming back." Dexter said apathetically.

"She spends the night at her sleepover then goes straight with Lee lee and Cee cee to a travel balle camp. She won't be back till late July."

 

**_W h a t ???_ **

 

Mandark stood dumbfounded. 

 

**_The whole summer???_ ** _Why is she gone for the whole summer????_

 

He couldn't believe it, but it had to be true, his own sister was going to a camp just like it, if not the same one. And as much as Mandark hated Dexter, he knew that he wasn't a liar. 

 

Dexter looked blankly at mandark, then glanced at the flowers and winced. "Oh, those.. Do you uh, want me to take a note for her?"

 

Mandark seethed with annoyance. His attempt painfully failled and now Dexter was going to try to  _help him??_

"Raugh! Here!" He thrusted the flowers into Dexters hands.

"Just take them! I don't need your passively undercut considerate… PITY!" He began to stomp off, but spun around last second. "And your notes are illeterate writing dirt!"

A moment passed and Mandark realised the complete nonsense he just said. He  turned beet red at the poorly spoken proclimation, let out another angry shout, and hurried off angry and embarrassed. 

 

Dexter puzzledly watched the boy storm away and closed the door. 

_Well was that… weird._

 

Seeing Mandark show up at his house was confusing for Dexter in multiple ways. Firstly it was just rare to see mandark at his house. Though he did come over occasionally to duel or sabatoge some of Dexter's experiments, it was still a rare occurance.

And on top if that, Mandark didn't usually make such a fool of himself without Dee dee around. It was a particulally odd sight to actually see him so uncomposed rather than just the love blind fool. It wasn't that big of a goof, but in terms of Mandark, a slip of the tongue was   h u g e.

And most surprisingly, as much as Mandark was a hopeless romantic, and very head over heels for Dee dee he was still incredibly shy. Not to say that he wasn't bold, especially in the namd of 'love' becuase absolutely he would become fantastically annoying with how forthright he acted in...  _Wooing._

_Ugh.._

Its just that he was always very precise  and prepared about it. Like knowing who was around Dee dee, where she was, and what he was going to say to her. Planning no doubt, to minimize public exposure and possible scenarios of humiliation.

Dexter only knew all this becuase he had seen some of Mandarks extensive notes the last time he fought him in his sinister lab. There were ...  A    L O T.

 

_But could this all be some sort of trick?_

 

Dexter cautiously examined the roses, nothing about them seemed technologically or genetically manipulated... Plus if they were for Dee dee like dexter suspected, Mandark wouldn't make them a danger to her. 

He took a chance and leaned in to smell them, just normal beautiful roses.

 

Dexter rubbed his chin rhoughtfully... They were very nice flowers…  It would be a shame to just get rid of them. 

 

_Eh, what's the harm?_

 

Dexter walked over to the kitchen and pulled out a vase. Filling it with water, he gingerly placed the roses into it and carried it up to his lab.


End file.
